Weft-replenishing loom.



- Patented June 13, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- w. H. RANKIN.

WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1915.

Patented June 13; 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- 70 all home it may concern "clare thel fpllowing tobee full, cleegyrlnd' eiia-chdescription of the invention such as wiil enebleothers skiiled in the erbto'which it eppertainjs"to hake end 'nse the some.

flThe present invehtion relates to improve ments n eft replenlshing looms and more perticuliirlyfio improvements in the filling feele y mechan sm and t ransferrer devlces *fois'uch Blooms;

1 Thensuelfconstrnction of enioinetic Weft T replenishinglooins is snch ihehlefter the en. 1 henstionqofthe filling in the aoigive shuttle "YtheQshHtiiIeito make at least'one traverse through .hhe ished before the insertion of a Xhztns ted before the shuttle reaches itsshub tle box on the gfilling supply side of the x iiwi ft n Wqven;"into; the cloth, thereby impair; li ing fifis quality; :In Letters Patent No;

ul,l-3 .i,063,fdeted March 30,1915, provision was madje gforr {feeling for the filling in the hactive shnttlel and determining the state of l its;exhaustionduring the first part of the forward lmovement of i the lay While the fecting ithevinsertio'n of e fresh supply of filling iii the shuttle on the same forward beetof the my; 1; i

The edvanteges of detecting the amount of filling inythe ectiveshnttle and on the critioel exhaustionof'the same to cause the lins'rfiion'of e fresh supply of filling in the shnttlefonthe seine-beetofthe lay, are ob violis but the mechanism forefieoiing this lies hibherto' heen somewhat con'ipliceted.

v 'iheiobject of the present invent-ion,yhere fore;ie to simplify the construction of Weft 1 replenishing loomsinjwliichjal fresh snppiy r I jigheflseme'heat of theiay on which the deteetiongof {critical exheusticn "takes place,

Specification of Letters Peltent.

1 Replenishing Leonie; and I do hereby de lion pre determinedextent and the operation ofi he filling detecting vmechanism in ascery taining theteXheust-ion, it is necessary for I forward center. i

freshsnpplyfoffillingin the shuttle. The A still further ii'eetureof the inveiiiiioni E disedventegesof this mode of operation-ere fhehjthe I lfilling is liable to i be completely loomflvitli'?the lresultithat short WBflQS, are

shiittleflwasfin itsbox on the filling replen I ishingfside of the'loom and, thereafter, ef-

of fillingis insrted into tlie ective shuttle on i enrich wninmm r-nnimmm, or WALTHAM; nessncnosnrrs.

reeemeesune is, ieie,

Application filed Mine 10, 1915. Serial No. 33,369.

and to render such construction more effe'ctive and less liable to get out of order.

To this 'end onefee-tore of the invention ooniemplates positioning the trensi'f'errer de- \-*1ces reer vnrdly' of the hlling n'izigezine end errn nging their parts in such monnerfihnt" they will be actuated not, as hitherto hes been customary, by the lay, hot by e cmn drivenin timed releiion to hhe ley nioifiioiii Another feature oi the invent-ion eoniempletes transferring e it'resh supply of filling to the active shuttle while isheleyis on its forward center hv a trensferrer locetedreer- 'wardly of the lay. p i fiirther feature of the invention resides in so arranging the parts of the filling feeler mechanism and transferrer devices and dc termmmg the timing of HM-311' operations that the filling feeling takes place just prev vious tofthe arrival of the ley at its forward center, and the insertion of a fresh supply of filling in .the shuttle takes place immediately upon the "arrival ofthe lays-lei its contemplates the simplification of theifiliing feel'er mechanism so that it may perform itsfu'netionof feeling of the' filling-iin the active shuttle, and "thereafter bewvithdr'znvn from the shuttle 'to'ellow a fresh supply of filling tor-'he inserted see the shuttle during the short space of time that BlSL'iDSGS between the filling feeling operation ni'ldijhe insertion 'of the fresh supply of filling in the shuttle. p L Further features of the invention; will hereinafter appear and be apparent to those skilled in the art. These vnrious features of the inven'tionere embodied in the improved Weft replenishing loom herein-- lifter described and per ticulerly pointed out improved filling feeler and trensferrerde vicesere usedmaybe of any usual or pre 'ferred' construction, thzihshown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention being an ordinary four-color loom. The lay 4 is mounted upon a lay sword 5 pivoted at 6 to the loom frame 7. An oscillatory movement is imparted to the lay by the crank shaft'B and the pitman 9., On the right hand end of the lay is located a fixed shuttle box 1'0, and on the left hand end of the lay are located the sliding shuttle boxes 12.

A horizontally reciprocating filling magazine 13 is mounted on the right hand end of the loom over the path of movement of the fixed shuttle box 10. This magazine has as many compartments as there are shifting shuttle boxes and each compartment contains a supply of filling of the same eolor and character as' the fillingin the corresponding shifting shuttle *box. The shifting shuttle boxes are reciprocated vertically in order to present a shuttle containing the proper color of fillingto the picker. The reciprocatory movement is imparted to the shifting shuttle boxes 12 by an arm controlled by the pattern mechanism.

consists of a vertically reciprocating r0d-l6 and a link 1-7 pivoted at its lower end to the rod 16 and at its upper end to a stud conmeeting the pattern mechanismfarm with an arm controlled through the stud by the pattern mechanism. The fillingmagazme 13 is adapted to move in unison with the shifting shuttle boxes 12 so that, when'the lay; is on its forward center, a bobbin con- I taining filling of the same color and character as the filling in the active shuttle will be positioned over the fixed shuttle box 10.

The reciprocating movements of the filling 1 magazine 13 are imparted to it by the arm mentof the magazine 13. The lower end of the link 19 ispivoted to the arm 15. The above described arrangement and construction of parts is old and well-known in fourcolor looms and their operation is-understood by those skilled in this art without further explanation.

. The improved filling teeler mechanism op-' erateswhen the filling in the active shuttle is exhausted to a nedetcrmiued extent to close anelectric circuit, and thereby ener-.

gize an electroanagnet. Theencrgization of the magnet is utilized to control the trans-- ferrer devices, which'are normally man in operative position and bring them into position to be actua'tcdto insert ai'resh sup ply of filling in the active shuttle. The fillin'g feeler mechanism is situated on the same side of the loom as the transferrcr devices and consists of a filling t'eelcr 22 ihd a fill-.

The connections between i the shifting shuttle boxes 12 and its arm ing feeler housing 23. The filling ,feeler is received inv the housing 23 and is adapted to reciprocate forward and backward therein.

The filling feeler is spring-pressed toward the lay and is moved forward or away from the lay at the proper times by means of a filling fee'ler controlling cam 24: mounted upon the cam shaft 25. The connections between the filling .feeler and the filling feeler controlling cam 24 for efiecting the forward movement of the filling feeler, consist of a- .bell. crank lever indicated generally by the reference character 26, pivoted at 27 to the frame of the loom, a link 28 and a lever 29 pivoted at 30rthe frame of the loom. The

upper arm 3-l'oij-the bell crank lever 26 is' articulated wit-lithe filling feeler 22 at 32 by a pin and slot connection. One'end of the I link 28 is pivoted at 33 to the lever 29 and the other end of the link 28 is articulated with the lower arm 35 at 36 of the bell crank lever 26, by a pin and slot connection. The pin and;slot connection 36 between the arm 35 of the bell crank lever and the link 28, afi'ords provision whereby the extent of movement of the filling 'feeler 22 maybe regulated. I The function of the filling feeler 22 in feeling of the filling in the active shuttle is performed, as is customary, while the lay center by the rotation of the filling feelercontrolling cam 24. When the filling in the active shuttle 38 has been exhausted to .a predetermined extent. that is to say, upon critical exhaustion of the filling, an electrical contactll) secured to the under side of the filling-feeler 22 strikes the electrical terminal ll secured'to the front wall of the fixed shuttle box 10, thereby effecting the closure of an electric circuit. 'The'closing of the circuit operates through appropriate mechanism to cause the insertion of a fres supply of filling in the shuttle.

In order that the contact 40 may not strike the terminal 41 whilethe active shuttle 38 is at the oppositeend of the lay, that is tosay, on the non-detecting forward beat of the lay, the filling fecler 22 IS caused to retreat before the lay at this time somewhat more rapidly than on the filling detecting heat. This more rapid withdrawal otthe filling fccler 22 before the lay on its nondct'ccting beat, is effected by the side 43 of the filling fceler controlling cam 24;. It will he observed that the construction of the cam fa l; is such that the side 4* thereof, which the vlayffas'j is illustlfted in, Fig. l, lies eta l distzinoe from the jeer ter y Of thej cam 24 i 3 tvhiehjengziges the link iGonsjequei tly thele f I'IGEIClflSSR position faruthjer forward on lthe detecting beat before itdoes o the no eteetihg beat; that is oisay, ,whil the; lay is on the nn-cletecting eet anrl the idei iif of thecam 24: is iii engagement With-thelink 28 the side43 causes the filling feeler E 22 th loe retracted before lie-lcoht2ict40 andtheterminh 41 can come 5 intoengag'eilneht." i 'o The im ro ed .transferrerdevices consist sl'eeured i box made integral 11g. 9 eneifolingl the pin 146 normally in ntein stth 'transferrerhammer in ele- 'osliti n .s Thetliensferrer hammer 1 eetuz ted hl a tralnsfe reneeinzfiOto insert a fresh Supply-oi filling irilthe qetive shuthe appropriate times. 1 The connee he roll support is piv- IllllIlStilblG e ilibi-Iiumomthe pin uiiingitl le normal opei e-tion ofthe 2 f'ills Ql ltpf the path e 51ft55 of the tra nsthat is to say, W Q54 15 notfheldliu the otionwof the aetivejliart 55 oil 50 ,wei htwsuchkas to cause 53wto rotate on the pin 54:

1152 to swing downpath :of motioh of the eng ges t e ink 8101; the, detecting beat of,

tjeeting beat of thelayr ihegezme elidejlsupport '48. A

between *tlle";"t 'alnsferreif1 hammer 4:5

"ill-(11y "pifojeeting from operates to draw the hook 61 upward. vThe upward movement of the can) roll controlling hook 631. emiees the lower encl 62 thereof to engage the pin (33 projecting letei'elly from the roll. support and thereby '1 rotate the roll support 53 on its pivot 54, so

as to bring the 0am roll 52 into the pzith of motion of the active part of the trans ferreiactuating cmh 50. The electromagnet 60 is secured to the loom frame 7. Sit uated beneath the magnet is a bracket 65 secured, to the loo'm frame. To the upper end of thehmeket 65 is pivoted :1 lever 66.

Secured. to the lever 66 and located beneath the poles of the magnet 0 is an armature plate 67. The cam roll controlling hookilll is secured to the outer end of the lever 66. The energlzzition of the magnet 60 draws the armature plate 67 to itself and thereby raises the roll controlling hook When the magnet 60 unenei'gized, the outer end of the lever 66 upon the lever suppoit 58 secured to the frame of: the loom and the lower end of the hook drops out of engagement with the pin (33. To prevent lateral clisgilacement of the hook (31, a guide plate 69 is provideelhn wing a hole through which passes the Sikh} oi the hook, i

The sequential operation hf the improved filling .feeler mechanism. ziiul transferrei' cleviees l$ -(lBSC1lllQ(l as follows: The position of the various parts {is shown in Fig. 1 mrhcates thnt thefilling in the etive shuttle has heeh exhausted to a )DITQflGlZBl'ITllDQd extent :m(l that the contact 5K0 on the filling feeler 22. has made an eleetx'ie Contact with. the teruiiua'l 41 mul closed the circuit, thereby energlzing the magnet 60. The energizntion i? the n'mgnet 60- hes drawn the ai-n'mture plate ('5'? inlojengagement with the polesot' the maghehthei ehy raising the outer end of the lever The movement of the lever 66 has drawn the hook 61 upward, so that the l()WCl'GIl(l (32 of the hook has engaged the pin 65 and rotated the x'ollvsupport 53 so as to lri-ingthe oum roll 52 into the path of movement of the dwell 70 of the active part 55 of the tx'misfei reir actuatingcam 50. The active part of the cam 50 is provided with the dwell TO m orderto t revent a premature insertion of lilling infio the active shuttle, that is to say. to prevent a "fresh sup ply of filling: from being Inserted into the shuttle while the feeling end nfyhe filling 22 still renmins projected into the feele 1" sh lllltlQ,

in Fig. i. has not yetTeziehecl its ilOlWVlllYl 22 out of It will he'ohserved that the lay as shoivn l the shuttle 38; It will be observed that the relation of, the distances of the connections between the filling feeler and the bell crank lever;26,'and between the lever 26 and the link 28 to their respective ful'crums, is such that a very small movement upwardly of the'link 28 will cause the filling feeler 22to move a considerable distance relatively thereto. Consequently, although the cam shaft rotates at only one-half the speed of the crank shaft 8, the filling feeler 22 will be withdrawn fronithe shuttle, after 1 forward center, and the transfer of a fresh supply of filling into the shuttle is efiected by a transferrer located rearwardly of the lay immediately upon/the arrival'of the lay at its forward center. The operation of the transferrer devices therefore takes .placewhile the {lay is substantially stationary,

- Ward center.

1 that the present invention is not limited to that-,is to say, during the period of dwell I a of the lay while the crank is passing its forward center or, in other words, during the movementof'the lay crank about its for- This arrangement of weft replenishing devices and the timing of their operation is believed to be broadly'novel'.

While the preferred emlbodiment of the present invention has been specifically'illustrated and described, it is to be understood its preferred embodiment, vbut that it may be embodied in other constructions of weftreplenishing looms within the scope of the invention.

7 what I claim is Having thus described my invention,

'1'. A Weft replenishing loom having, in

combination, a lay, a shuttle, an electromag.

net, and transferrer devices located rearwardly of the lay and controlled by the elec-" tromagnet having provisionby virtue't ojf which they. are actuated to insert a fresh supply of filling in the shuttle.

2; A weft replenishing loom having, in; combination, a lay, a shuttle, a filling supply magazine, and transferrer devices for inserting a fresh, supply of filling in the shuttle including a transferrer hammer mounted on the loom frame thefilling supply magazine.

'- 3. A weft replenishing loom having," incombination, an electric circuit, a trans ferrer hammer and a cam, said transferrer hammer having provision byvirtue of iwhich it may be actuated by'the cam when the electric circuit is closed; 4. A weftreplcnishing loom having, in

combination, a lay, a crank shaft for actu- J 'rea-rwardlyof mechanism having a memberanormally in i .inoperative position, and electrical connecating the lay, a itransferrer hammer and connections between the crankshaft and the transferrer hammer constrhcted and ar- 1 ranged for engagementand -actuation by means mounted on the crank shaft, independently of the lay. i a

5. A weft replenishing loom having, in

combination, a lay, a'shuttle, a transferrer hammer, a crank shaft, a cam m'ounted'on' the crank shaft, and. connections between the transferrer hammer and the cam.

6. A weft replenishing loom'having, in

combination, a shuttle, transferrer devices including a transferrer 'hamnter, a transferrerhammer actuating cam, and a cam roll adapted to be out of the path of motion of the cam during normal operation of the loom and having provision by virtue of 1 which it is moved into the path of motion of the cam upon predetermined exhaustion of filling in the shuttle.

7. A weft replenishingloom having, in

combination, transferrer devices including atransferrer hammer, a transferrer hammer actuating cam, a cam roll adapted to be out of the path of motion of the cam during normal operation of the loom, and a magnet for moving the cam roll into the path of motion of the cam upon predetermined ex haustion of filling in the shuttle.

8. A weft replenishing loom having,

combination, a lay, a shuttle, filling feeler mechanism including a filling feeler, an electric terminal connected with the lay, an electric contact mounted on the filling feeler adapted to engage the, terminal when the filling in the shuttle has been-exhausted to.

a predetermined extent, transferrer devices' for inserting a fresh supply f filling theshuttle, and means for withdrawing the filling feeler from the shuttle before the insertion ofa fresh supplyv of filling in the shuttle. v l

9. A Weft replenishing loom having-in combination, a lay, a shuttle, filling feeler mechanism including a filling feeler, an ele'c tric terminal connected with the lay, an electric contact mounted on the filling feeler,

and means for preventing the contact from. engaging the terminal when thel'shuttle is,

at the end of the lay opposite from the filling feelei' mechanism.

10. A weft replenishing loom having,in combination, .a shuttle, filling feeler mechanism, transferrer devices located on the same side of the loom with the filling feeler tions between the filling feed mechanism and the transferrer devices hav ng provision when the filling in theshuttlehas been ex-" y hausted to apredetermined"extent,to'bring the member into operative position to'cause the transferrer devices to be actuated o insert a fresh supply of filling inthe shu'ttle.

I v magazi e to theshuttle,

zjin,transferrer devlcesfaucam mounted on i the jQl'flIlk shaft, and connections between the 'ansferrerjdevicesfand the cam having proision Joy"virtue of which, when the filling the shuttle isfexhaustedio a predeter- "mined extenflthecam'actuates thetransfer- 10-111deices to transfer theifillin-g from the 12 Atweft;replenishingloom having, in p combination;acranlcshafhya shuttle. a fillfll ingifnfeeler mechanism, means for controlling thepfilling fceler imechanism. a transferrer ammei'ya cainmonnted on the crank shaft,

rid: the, cam :including a 0am roll normally inoperative f position and means conolled bythexfillingfeeler mechanism adapton [the exhaustion :Qf the filling in the ttleto a predetermined extent, to bring [am 1-011.inteepemtive position so as to yCi l l lSt! the actuation i of the transferrer hamittle'liox, a shuttle, trans: n iqjvlectromagnet for control-. lingthe. 0p filling ffeelrlmechanism including djfilling vfeelerfadapted'to feel of, the filling in the ntact: on the filling feeleif adapted, when redeterniined extent, to e age-the terminal use the operation toenergize the magnbt to-ea tra nsfcrror/levices- Lo cated 1 rearward] y of the lay 'fill'ingfeelerimechanismvmounted on i he lir theam an the saineend of the loom on which tlietrii ferrerdevices are located, andconnections, itivecn the filling feeler "echanisn fand"the transfcrrerdevices con- ,L acted and arranged'to causetheoperation lof fthe titansferrcr (levices,flwhen the filling in thefshuttlc, s exhaustedrto a predeterined cxt entfon tho lieatfof the lay upon ich; the ifilliiiwfeelci" mechanism operates. 0.. Aweftreplenishingioom having, in nbinationg al a shuttle, filling fecler chanisni, trans Ll erzdevices, alndelectrh connections between the filling feeler connections between the transferrer hammer plenisliing liieiii having. in-

a tiori offlthe tian'sferrer device's uttle, a terininaihon the slinttlfc hox, and a,

16. A weft replenishing loom. having, in

combination, a lay, filling feeler mechanism, transferrer devices located rearwardly of the lay, and connections between the filling feeler mechanism and transferrer devices constructed and arranged to cause the operation of the'filling feeler mechanism to take place just previous to the arrival of the lay at its forward center, and the transferrer devices to operate immediately upon the arrival of the lay at its forward center upon the same heat. v 1

17. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, alay, a shuttle, and transferrer devices for inserting a fresh supply of filling ilr che shuttle including a pivotally mounted ;transfer1 'erhamnlier located rearwardly of the lay. II I 18. A weftrepienishing' loom having; in combination, a lay, an electromagnet, transferrer devicesjlocated on the loom frame rearwardly ofthe lay and controlled asto its time of operation by the electromagnet, and

the l i g l t e S uttle; isuexhausted tga actuating means for thetransferrer devices.

19. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination. a lay, a crank for actuating the '90 lay, filling feeler mechanism, and transferrer devices located rearwardly of the lay,

the filling feeler mechanism and transferrer devices being constructed and arranged to operate in sequential relation, on the same heat of the layduring the movement of the lay crank about its forward center.

20. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination. a lay, a shuttle, a feeler, a f i transferrer located rearwardly of'the lay,

and connected mechanism operating automatically to cause the feeler to determine critical exhaustion of filling-in the shuttle at the end of the forward beat of the lay 3 and immediately thereafter on the same Beat 

